Winter Wish
by WannaKnownLee
Summary: (Complete) During Christmas of 2000, it's rumored that if you confess your love before midnight on Christmas Eve, any wish you want will come true... But when two boys love the same girl, which one gets their Winter Wish granted? BIG NOTE ON CHAP 14
1. Lyrics and Prologue

Hey again everybody! Long time no see, I guess... Anyways, you're probably wondering what I'm doing writing an H+B fic, huh? Well, lemme explain to ya... This isn't exactly a crossover between Love Hina and Hamtaro...Mainly just a crossover of Hamtaro and the Love Hina Christmas special. Anyways, I just had the idea of making this crossover, but didn't know which couple to use. Boss+Bijou would be good, but I'm already working on the sequal to my B+B fic, so, no. Cappy+Penelope? Well, it would be pretty tough, considering that Penelope couldn't really confess to Cappy just by saying "Ookwee, Ookwee!". Stan+Pashmina? I'm already currently working on a Stan+Pashy fic, so, naw. So I figured that I might as well make it H+B. I guess I'm dedicating this not only to my friends who are H+B fans, but also to you H+B fans who read my B+B fic. This is my way of saying "Thanks for reading". ^_^ Anyways, I hope that pretty much clears it up. Now then, on with Winter Wish!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro, Love Hina, or the song "Winter Wish".  
  
LYRICS:  
  
"Winter Wish"  
  
(How it) heated up a small happiness at the right time  
  
In your heart and soul, does it hurt like this?  
  
Your eyes, your voice, they are all cherished  
  
The snow that landed on my cheek changed into tears  
  
Always being by your side, please don't let go of these hands  
  
The winter sky (and) the shining stars surrounded the two of us  
  
White shoulders (and) white breaths, I'm feeling it with you, this winter wish  
  
We walked closely together (at the) oceanside amusement park  
  
Riding the ferris wheel, let's look at the city of lights  
  
The distant ocean and the fleeting kiss aren't enough  
  
The beginning is the snowy eve. It's a small story  
  
I love you more than anyone. Please don't let go of these hands  
  
We walk in the footprints that line our future  
  
With both the warmth and the gentleness, let's embrace this winter wish  
  
Prologue:  
  
~**~  
  
Hamtaro stood up and bounded over to the corner of the small ham-ham sized sandbox. He was tiny, like a little baby hamster, but he didn't really notice this.  
  
"Diggi-duggi, diggi-duggi..."  
  
A pile of sand formed behind him. He jumped up and down until he finally came out of his hole. He began to pat at the pile of sand, trying to make a sandcastle...or something of the sort. Suddenly, he heard a deep, yet squeaky, voice call out to him.  
  
"Hamha!"  
  
He tilted his head and looked up from his pile of sand. There, standing before him, was the most adorable little chibi-Boss, with a plastic shovel and the same helmet, only it fit him much better because he was so small.  
  
"Ham...ha?" Hamtaro said softly. He giggled. "Ham-ha! Ham-ha ham-ha ham-ha!!" he yelled with joy. Then suddenly another ham-ham showed up. The brightest sunlight shone, bouncing off her gorgeous white fur. She had only a small "pigtail" on the top of her head tied in a blue ribbon. When she saw Hamtaro, her cheeks turned red. When Boss saw her, his cheeks turned red also.  
  
"Hamha!" she called out.  
  
"Hamha!" Hamtaro yelled even more enthusiastically, spinning around in a circle. When he stopped, he was dizzily ready to fall over, right in front of Bijou. Bijou giggled and turned even redder.  
  
"Heke?" Hamtaro said.  
  
Little Boss saw this and was furious. He ran over to Bijou and immediately grabbed her paw and yanked on it. Hamtaro gasped and saw that there was an expression of fear on Bijou's face. He didn't know what to do, so he tugged her other paw. Boss tugged the one in his grasp again, harder. Bijou wailed. Hamtaro didn't want to hurt her, so he could think of nothing else but to hug little Bijou. She blushed and even smiled a bit, though Boss's paw was still holding hers. Shock covered Boss's face until he, too, hugged Bijou. Bijou felt as if she was stuck and slipped right underneath from the two young hams' arms. The two of them fell down, then she stood before them. The hamboys opened their eyes, dusted themselves off, and stood up, looking at poor, confused Bijou. Boss sniffled and looked at her through teary eyes.  
  
"Schmubby-wubby..." he cried softly.  
  
Hamtaro looked at Boss sadly. He hadn't meant to make Boss mad, or make him cry. Then he looked at Bijou with confusion.  
  
"Schmubby-wubby?" he said, puzzled and afraid.  
  
Bijou looked at Hamtaro, then at Boss, then at the two of them.  
  
"Schmubby-wubby?" she said.  
  
~**~  
  
Bijou slowly opened her sleep-ridden eyes. A bit puzzled, she yawned, sat up, and stretched. She saw two other tired faces stretching and yawning as well; Hamtaro's and Boss's.  
  
"Heke? What happened?" Hamtaro said drowsily.  
  
"Looks like we fell asleep on the job." Bijou said, giggling.  
  
"Gosh... I wonder how that happened?" Hamtaro replied.  
  
"Alright now, sleepyheads, we gotta get back to work!" Boss said, picking up some scissors and construction paper.  
  
[Hamtaro]  
  
Hamtaro, December 19th. Me, Boss, and Bijou have been workin' really hard for the past couple of days! Let's see...um...4... Uh, oh yeah! We've been working on the clubhouse for 8 whole days! Can you believe it? Laura and her friends have been on Christmas vacation since the 11th! Lucky she and Maria are both on vacation with their families! And Boss doesn't have a human, so he's got plenty of time. All the other ham-hams had to stay with their families. But we're decorating the clubhouse for a party! It'll be lots and lots of fun! But whenever Bijou looks at me, her cheeks get all red. Maxwell says it's because she likes me. It's kinda scary, though, because I think I might like her too. I THINK... I'm not sure! But if I do, what if Boss gets mad? He likes Bijou a whole lot! Oh well, guess I'll just have to ignore it. For now, my main goal is to make ALL the ham-hams happy by setting them up with other people...I guess. I love to see the couples together, like Sandy and Maxwell, but sometimes when I see 'em, I feel like I'm... I dunno, missing something. It's really just silly, I guess. Maybe I should ignore that too. Well, maybe the party next week will cheer me up!  
  
[Bijou]  
  
Bijou, December 19th. Well, it is that joyous season again already! Boss, Hamtaro and I have been working hard on a ham-ham holiday party since the 11th. I am so lucky to have this opportunity to work with Hamtaro. Maybe as a Christmas gift I could tell him how I feel! I wonder if that would make him happy. Hamtaro and I have been spending so much time together, I am so happy! Boss almost seems a bit upset. Maybe it is because he is lonely on Christmas, being a field ham and all. No one should be alone on Christmas. But I still feel like it is rude of him to get upset and interrupt every time Hamtaro and I get closer. It is too bad that he has no one to love, but he does not have to take it out on Hamtaro and I. Though I wish there was something I could do for him... Oh well. I cannot wait until the party! It is supposed to be in five more days. I hope Hamtaro, Boss and I can finish decorating and getting the food by then! Because that is when I plan on telling Hamtaro how I feel! I know that all of the ham-hams will be happy for me!  
  
[Boss]  
  
Boss-man, December 19th. I don't even remember how long I've been working on the clubhouse with Bijou and Hamtaro, but it seems like it's been forever since I've last been with all the ham-hams. I miss them all, but I enjoy being able to spend this much time with Bijou...I guess. Hamtaro's here too, unfortunately, so most of the attention is going to him. But I'm not giving up just yet! I figure that maybe if I show her how hard I can work, she'll be really impressed and that'll get her to like me! Who knows? This could perhaps lead to mistletoe...  
  
A/N: This ends the epilogue. The theme song would play now. ^_^ Am I doing a good job so far? Please R/R!! 


	2. Chapter 1

Hi again everybody! I'm glad I got that many reviews in the short period of time after I posted the story. ^.^  
  
HamClover: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! And thanks for reading my B+B fic too. ^_^  
  
KatyChan: Thank you. ^^ I want one.. *hugs Chibi Boss, as he struggles to get away from her, crying "MOMMA!!!"*  
  
Ryuujin: Well, thanks, I'm glad that some H+B fans are open-minded enough to read B+B fics. ^^  
  
Winter the Snow Dragon: Heh.. .Thanks, Winter! ^^ Sorry if I seemed, eh, touchy yesterday... ^^;;  
  
Okkee dokkee then! Let's get on with Chapter 1!  
  
Chapter 1: The Rumor  
  
"The angels of love have descended to Earth  
  
And cast a spell of the century's end on us.  
  
On this hallowed winter's night, if you profess your love,  
  
It will surely be granted on this holy night."  
  
The singers' voices rang out from the radio that June had turned on. She was having Kylie sleep over, who had brought Penelope with her. Penelope began bouncing up and down in Pashmina's cage. She was enjoying the music.  
  
"Oh, I love this song!" June said, beginning to hum along.  
  
"Me too! But have you heard the rumor?" Kylie asked.  
  
June stopped humming with look of confusion on her face. "What rumor?"  
  
"You mean you haven't heard it? At school, everyone's talking about how if you confess your love on Christmas Eve this year, then your wish'll come true!" Kylie said, smiling.  
  
"Well, isn't it just the words to the song?" June asked, doubtfully.  
  
"There's another rumor that says it was a rumor first! Then it was so popular that they made it into a song!" Kylie said.  
  
"I wonder if it's just a myth, or if it could be real..." June said.  
  
"That would be nice, huh?" Kylie said, beginning to blush.  
  
"Oh, why, do you like someone? Hmm?" June asked.  
  
"Did you hear that, Penelope? If you confess your love this year, you get to be together forever!" Pashmina said.  
  
"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope squealed, still jumping up and down.  
  
A few hours later, Kylie and June went to go Christmas shopping together. "This is our chance, Penelope! Let's go see how everyone's doing!" Pashmina exclaimed.  
  
"Ookwee!" Penelope said, following Pashmina out the cage.  
  
The two of them ran through the frontyard, plowing through the snow, until they finally reached the clear (but damp) sidewalk. Penelope sat down on the sidewalk and shivered. Pashmina didn't notice this until she heard a high-pitched sneeze. She looked behind her to see Penelope, who was sniffling a foot behind her (A/N: When I say a foot, I mean 12 actual inches, not what a hamster would consider a foot.)  
  
"Oh, Penelope, are you alright?"  
  
"Ookwee..." Penelope moaned.  
  
"Oh, yeah, it is pretty cold. Wanna borrow my scarf?" Pashmina offered, taking off the pink garment. Penelope said nothing as Pashmina tied the scarf around her neck.  
  
Sorry if that was pretty short. I'll get into more detail in the next chappy, I promise!! ^^ 


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay, you guys! I've been busy with my summer job and whatnot... phew... Anyways, here's chapter 2! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2: Four Days Left: Soon!  
  
The next day, Bijou, Hamtaro, and Boss were hard at work on the clubhouse Christmas party. Hamtaro was wrapping presents, while Bijou was hanging up the decorations and Boss was setting up the food tables. The silence was hollow. The only sound that could be heard was Hamtaro humming. He seemed to be the only cheerful one that day. Since the three of them had started working, little conversation had carried on between any of them. Eventually, Hamtaro grew tired of the quiet. He looked up and saw just how much work Bijou had done. Ornaments were hanging from the ceiling, red and green lace was hanging from corners, and holly was "decked upon the halls". Hamtaro loved holly... He loved the gorgeous red color. He was surprised to see very much of what looked like holly, only a white-ish color instead of red. Little did he know this was mistletoe. Both Boss and Bijou had big plans to steal a kiss from the ones they admired. Hamtaro then turned to Boss and saw the beautiful wreath of leaves, seeds, and nuts. Boss was great at constructing things; after all, it was Boss who dug the tunnel and the clubhouse all by himself. Hamtaro sighed as the silence dragged on. Finally, he decided to take a stand against it. He took a deep breath and spoke.  
  
"Hey you guys! I just can't wait until the Christmas party!" he said in a voice pitched high with glee. Boss and Bijou simply grunted and nodded. Hamtaro sweatdropped and sighed again. Then Bijou finally asked, "What are you humming, Hamtaro?"  
  
"Heke? Oh! Uh, it's just the song that woke Laura up today! Her alarm plays music to wake her up and the song's been stuck in my head ever since!" Hamtaro laughed, hoping to get a smile out of Bijou. He succeeded. Boss spoke up, not noticing the two of them smiling at each other.  
  
"Ya know, Hamtaro, Pashmina told me there was a rumor behind that song." Boss said.  
  
"Heke? What kinda rumor?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Well, have ya ever really listened closely to the lyrics?" Boss asked, continuing his work.  
  
"Well, not really. I mean, the tune is pretty catchy, but I never pay attention to lyrics in songs that much..."  
  
"Okay, well, Pashmina told me she heard June and Kylie talkin' while listening to the song. Something about a...well, I dunno, supposedly an 'angel of love' descending and...castin' a spell." Boss said lamely. He wasn't exactly convinced about the whole rumor.  
  
"I do not understand, Boss, what is the rumor?" Bijou said.  
  
"Well, they say the spell made it so that confessin' your love on Christmas Eve this year'll make it come true." Boss continued.  
  
"Heke?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Come...true?" Bijou said, deep in thought about Hamtaro.  
  
"Yeah, come true. You know, bond the two of us--err, uh, I mean, THEM, together forever!" Boss said, beginning to blush.  
  
"Hmm..." Bijou said as she looked at Hamtaro.  
  
"Personally, I never really believed in stuff like that. It's all fairy tales. Wouldn't you agree, Bijou?" Boss said, trying to impress his crush.  
  
"Well, I think it sounds possible." Bijou said.  
  
Boss nearly fell off his ladder. "Err, well, yeah, sure, it's possible, of course! I mean, uh, miracles happen, 'specially on Christmas, right? Hehehe..."  
  
"I think Boss is right." Hamtaro interrupted. "It sounds pretty unlikely to me."  
  
Boss was surprised. He wanted Bijou to agree with him, not Hamtaro. Bijou was shocked. Hamtaro was usually very optimistic about these kinds of things. Perhaps he was a bit pressured about the holiday season, like Bijou was. No, he wasn't like that...but what could it be? Perhaps he was planning to confess to her?  
  
Everyone soon went back to work. A few minutes later, Bijou looked at Boss, then at Hamtaro. The both of them seemed to be a bit upset about something...but what?  
  
Bijou didn't know it, but both boys were thinking--about her. Boss had loved Bijou for so long, and it seemed like he could never find the perfect opportunity to confess the truth to her. Could this possibly be a sign? Hamtaro, meanwhile, was wondering if what he was feeling for Bijou could possibly be love. If it was, should he confess to her on Christmas Eve? No...It would be too nerve-wrecking. Boss wouldn't be very happy about it. Besides, Bijou seemed to feel the same way. Maybe she would confess first. But if she did...how would Boss respond to that? 


	4. Chapter 3

Hey again everyone...  
  
I'm sorry for not updating for so long. I've been working over the summer, leaving me pretty worn out...*cough*lazy*cough* I planned on updating this weekend...but an unexpected event happened. Most of you out there know this already, but my dog Maggie passed away Saturday evening and I wasn't there for her. Well, I would appreciate it if you guys could maybe take some time and visit her tribute (http://www.in-memory-of-pets.com/personaltribute.asp?ID=32669), and then maybe visit my page for her (http://www.geocities.com/putmeonamailinglistandillshootu/Maggie.html) and sign the guest book. Thanks.  
  
Anyways, there's something else I wanna say. No, that chapter with Pashmina and Penelope wasn't yuri. ^^; Pashy and Penelope are just close like that. They're tight as sisters. Heh, so don't worry. H+B is going to be the only couple in this story.  
  
And one more thing... I got an email from the ff.net bot, which was a review. I don't remember who it was (I deleted the email, figuring the review would show up on the site), but they said something about flaming my B+B fic under some different aliases. I was surprised to see that the review didn't show up on the site... Oh well. Anyway, whoever that was, it's alright. I don't expect people to like all my fics. ^_^  
  
Now then, back to the story!  
  
Chapter 3: Two Curious Snoops: Sneaky!  
  
"Agh! C'mon, you wimp!" an obnoxious voice whispered.  
  
"No! I won't do it! It's unethical!"  
  
"Shh! You'll wake Boss up!"  
  
"You told me you wanted to see me for an IMPORTANT reason!"  
  
"This is important, ain't it?! C'mon! I seen chickens who was braver than you!"  
  
"Howdy, I refuse to do this."  
  
"Fine then! I'll do it!"  
  
Dexter moaned as Howdy stood on top of his head. Howdy had asked him to meet at the clubhouse for "important reasons". However, he didn't mention the fact that those reasons were to help him sneak into the clubhouse and find the presents.  
  
"Howdy! Get off of me this instant!" Dexter said.  
  
"Don't blame me! I offered to let ya stand on me, but ya wouldn't cuz it's too 'unheffsacall'!" Howdy reminded him.  
  
"That's 'unethical'! I'll bet you don't have the slightest idea what it means, do you?" Dexter snapped as he tried to keep his balance.  
  
"Shh! Quiet! You'll wake up Boss!"  
  
Howdy reached to the top of the shelf. "Ha ha ha! Jackpot! We've struck Christmas oil!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Good. Great. Grand. GET OFF OF ME!" Dexter whispered loudly.  
  
Howdy hopped down to the floor with a large box. "Whoo-ee! Sure is heavy...must be for me!" he snickered.  
  
"Eh, right, Howdy. Why don't you check the tag to make sure?" Dexter said, sweatdropping.  
  
"Oh, I see. Change yer mind, mister nonhexical?" Howdy guffawed.  
  
"Uh, that is, you dragged me into this, so I may as well find out too!" Dexter said, sweating nervously.  
  
"Uh-huh, sure." Howdy said, picking up the tag from the gift.  
  
"Hmm... It just says it's from Hamtaro." Dexter said.  
  
"Uh...it does?" Howdy asked.  
  
"Of course! See, right here." Dexter said, pointing to Hamtaro's signature.  
  
"Uh...Oh yeah! Heh.." Howdy said, beginning to sweat. "Anyway, open it!"  
  
"Look, Howdy, there's a note!" Dexter said, pointing to an envelope on top of the box.  
  
"Aw, skip that! I wanna see what it is!" Howdy said loudly.  
  
"Shh!" Dexter said, unfolding the note."  
  
"Oh...Gimme that!" Howdy said, snatching the note from Dexter's grasp.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Uh..." Howdy looked at it for a few seconds.  
  
"Well, what does it say?" Dexter asked.  
  
"'My dearest friend Howdy,' See? Told ya it was for me!" Howdy said, snickering.  
  
"Oh, just give it to me!" Dexter said, taking the note back. He had grabbed it upside down, so the first thing he saw was the bottom of the note, which read "All my love and hope for our future, Hamtaro." Dexter gasped. "Howdy, look at this!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What? What's it say?" Howdy asked, holding the note.  
  
"Uh...Howdy, are you sure you know how to read?" Dexter said, sweatdropping.  
  
Suddenly the two of them heard footsteps.  
  
"Oh no, it's Boss!" Dexter said.  
  
"What?! Hurry, get on my head!" Howdy said.  
  
"Where's the note? THE NOTE?!" Dexter said.  
  
"I put it back! Just put the present away already!" Howdy said.  
  
Dexter managed to shove the present back before falling and shuffling out of the clubhouse. After catching his breath, Howdy finally spoke.  
  
"We gotta tell the ham-hams about this!"   
  
"What if Boss gets mad?" Dexter asked.  
  
"Aw, he can handle it, c'mon! We gotta tell everyone! Let's plan to meet outside the clubhouse at noon!" Howdy said.  
  
"Hmm...Well, I do suppose Boss would want what's best for Bijou... Okay, but let's leave those three out of this." Dexter said.  
  
The two of them set off.  
  
Is the note from Hamtaro really for Bijou? Will Boss find out? If so, how will he react? How will the rest of the ham-hams react? R/R and you MIGHT find out! =P 


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I didn't notice that I had NINE reviews for chapter 3 already!! X_X;; Well, anyways, even so with Dexter and Howdy's evidence... We aren't totally SURE that note is for Bijou... *wink, nudge* But don't worry...whether the note is for Bijou or not, this story is H+B and that's not gonna change on a whim! Well, thanks again for reviewing me. Here's chappy four...enjoy! ^o^  
  
Chapter 4: The Meeting and the Accident: Such Panic!  
  
"Alright, so what's this all about, you two?" Maxwell said.  
  
"Yeah, why did you wake us up so late last night?" Pashmina asked.  
  
"Ookwee?" Penelope said.  
  
"Now, now, don't worry so much. It's very important, but we don't want to let it get out of hand." Dexter said.  
  
"Is everybody here?" Howdy asked.  
  
"I think so." Dexter said.  
  
"Wait, where are Hamtaro, Boss, and Bijou?" Panda asked.  
  
"I think they're, like, still working." Sandy said.  
  
"Well, shouldn't we invite them too?" Oxnard asked.  
  
Meanwhile, inside the clubhouse, Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss heard the voices. They didn't recognize them as the voices of the ham-hams. "Do you guys hear something?" Hamtaro asked.  
  
"Oui, I think it is coming from outside the clubhouse!" Bijou said.  
  
"I'll go check it out!" Boss said, marching off to the back door.  
  
Boss then looked back and thought "I'm leaving the two of them alone...Naw, they won't do anything.."  
  
"Oh Boss, be careful!" Bijou exclaimed.  
  
"He'll be okay, Bijou." Hamtaro said, putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Oh Hamtaro, you are so brave!"  
  
"Hmmph!" Boss said, running outside. Bijou and Hamtaro didn't notice.  
  
"Great... What if Bijou confesses to Hamtaro before I get a chance to confess to her? Hamtaro..." Boss said, remembering back at other times. "Hamtaro...wasn't it him who caused my other confession plans to fail? Wasn't Bijou distracted by him? OH NO...what if he likes her too?! Ugh...no...of course not!" Boss said. He poked his head out and saw the other ham-hams, but they didn't see him. He was just about to ask what they were doing, when Dexter said  
  
"Well, this is something we don't think they should know yet. You see--" Dexter began.  
  
"Hamtaro's gonna confess love to Bijou!" Howdy exclaimed.  
  
The ham-hams gasped. Boss was in shock.  
  
"Wh-whaddya mean?" Oxnard said.  
  
"Yeah, how do you guys know this?" Maxwell asked.  
  
"Well, you see, Howdy and I stumbled upon a gift. The tag said it was from Hamtaro, but it wasn't addressed to anyone. Knowing Hamtaro, he probably just forgot to write Bijou's name, or made sure she wouldn't see it was for her if she happened to look at it while they were working. Then there was a note on top and..."  
  
Boss listened in awe. Hamtaro did like Bijou after all!  
  
"So just where was this present?" Maxwell asked.  
  
"On the top shelf of that little room." Howdy said.  
  
"But why can't we tell Boss about it?" Cappy asked.  
  
"Cuz if he finds out Hamtaro and Bijou like each other, he'll go crazier than a cat in a shower!" Howdy said.  
  
"But...if Hamtaro's gonna confess...won't he find out anyway?" Cappy continued. Dexter sighed. He hadn't thought of that.  
  
"Well... I still think it would be better if he found out later. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble could start up." Dexter said.  
  
Boss was furious. "Oh, so I'm just a troublemaker, am I? I'd only interfere, would I? Well, maybe I'll just take a look at this 'present' myself!" he thought, going back into the clubhouse.  
  
When Boss came back, Hamtaro and Bijou were still standing where they were before. Until they saw Boss, that is.  
  
"Boss! Are you alright?" Hamtaro exclaimed.  
  
"Boss, who was out there?" Bijou asked.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Boss, are you alright? You look pretty mad." Hamtaro said.  
  
"Oh, it was just a nasty group of chipmunks, that's all. Took me awhile to get rid of them...they were...stubborn." Boss said, trying to cover up his anger towards the ham-hams.  
  
"Are you sure they are all gone?" Bijou asked.  
  
"Uh..of course, Bijou. Anyway, we need to get back to work! We've only got three days to finish!" Boss said, walking back to his ladder.  
  
"Uh...Oui," Bijou said as she began climbing back up her own ladder. "No need to delay the work that is left to be do--OHH!!"  
  
"Bijou!" Hamtaro and Boss said unanimously, rushing over to Bijou's side. Bijou cried loudly. 


	6. Chapter 5

Hey again everyone! Okay, I'm finally updating again! I think I only got about four or five reviews for that last chappy, and that's why I waited so long. So please dun forget to R/R! ^^;; Anyways, here goes Chapter 5!  
  
Chapter 5: A Visit from Elder Ham: Thank Goodness.  
  
"Are you alright?" Boss said.  
  
"Where does it hurt?" Hamtaro asked.  
  
Bijou just continued whimpering, still laying in the spot where she had slipped and fallen off the ladder. She had never been through such pain. She thought it was like cats slashing away at her flesh, while fire caught on her bone. It was nearly unbearable. She couldn't even hear herself scream; she was focused on the pain in her leg.  
  
"Hamtaro, we gotta help her!" Boss yelled over the screams. "Go get a blanket!"  
  
"Right!" Hamtaro said. He ran into Boss's room, reflexively slamming the door behind him, and immediately yanking the sheet off of Boss's bed, not even noticing the gift which had been placed upon it. He heard the sound of shattering and slightly panicked, but didn't bother to look back, knowing Bijou's safety came first. Ticky-ticky-ticky-ticky...  
  
"Now what, Boss?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Spread it out on the ground, then help me carry her and put her on top of it!" Boss yelled, covered in sweat. Boss was just as nervous as Hamtaro was, perhaps even a bit more. He had worked hard on a gorgeous Eiffel Tower made of corn and veggie-o's for Bijou all night the last evening, and had found out that Hamtaro not only liked Bijou, but also planned to confess to her, while non of the ham-hams seemed to care about HIS feelings! And now, Bijou, the love of his life, was injured, and he had no idea how badly.  
  
"Okay, Boss, I'm ready to move her!" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Alright, Hamtaro. On three, we lift her up and set her down on the blanket!"  
  
"Right!"  
  
"One..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"THREE!"  
  
Boss and Hamtaro lifted Bijou up, quickly scabbering toward the blanket. She whimpered, but when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Hamtaro. She admired the courageous look on his face, and was overjoyed by the fact that the strength and worry was all for her. She felt as if she were willing to suffer through the pain in her leg forever if it meant being cared for by Hamtaro. She soon snapped out of it, and suddenly looked at Boss. He looked determined also. What did this mean? Bijou then thought about it. As memories ran through her head, she recalled the redness on Boss's face every time she saw him. Did this mean...he liked her? No...of course not.. It couldn't be...could it?  
  
Bijou was placed on the sheet and suddenly lost her train of thought. The pain suddenly came back to her and she felt the tears begin to well up again.  
  
"Alright, Hamtaro, we're carryin' the corners of it and liftin' her over onto the table! Ready?" Boss said.  
  
"Ready when you are, Boss man!" Hamtaro said diligently.  
  
"One..."  
  
Before the countdown was continued, in walked a familiar bearded face. It was, of course, Elder Ham. Hamtaro and Boss immediately turned their heads and looked at him, then at each other, both wondering if the other had invited him.  
  
"Well, what have we here?" Elder Ham said.  
  
"Heke?" Hamtaro pondered.  
  
"Wh-what're you doing here, Elder Ham?" Boss said.  
  
"What in the world is going on here? I came to see what the ham-hams were doing for the holiday season, and on my way I hear terrible, blood-curdling screams!" he answered. Bijou sweatdropped. She didn't think it was THAT terrifying.  
  
"Hey, Boss, maybe he can help!" Hamtaro said, with the return of his usual bright, sunny smile.  
  
"Hey, you're right, Hamtaro!" Boss said, cheering up as well. "Hey, uh, Elder Ham! Could you c'mere for a minute or two?"  
  
"Oh, boy, now they're makin' me walk even more..." he muttered. "What is it?"  
  
"Elder Ham, Bijou's hurt! She fell off a ladder a few minutes ago, and we don't know what's wrong with her!" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Well, I guess I could check her out a little bit..." Elder Ham said, walking towards Bijou. "Alright, sweetheart, where does it hurt?" he asked, softly.  
  
"M-my leg..." Bijou said.  
  
"Alright, let's see here... Does this hurt?" Elder Ham said, gently touching Bijou's left leg.  
  
"Ahh... A little." she said.  
  
"Hmm... Does this hurt?" he said, pressing a bit firmer.  
  
"Ahh! Yes!" she said.  
  
"Hmm... Well, I don't think it's broken." he said.  
  
"Phew..." Boss and Hamtaro sighed.  
  
"Are you sure? It is in a lot of pain..." Bijou said.  
  
"It looks like a sprain, if you ask me." Elder Ham said.  
  
"Are you sure?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"I'm never wrong about these things! Now then, we should bandage her up right away!" Elder Ham said.  
  
"Alright. Let's get going." Boss said. 


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey again everyone! O_O Wow, it's been almost four weeks since I've updated! Alright, I'm gonna give you a fair warning: This next chapter doesn't go very far into the story. But I have the entire fanfic finished up (It's 14 chapters total), and I can promise you that the next chapter is a very big step in the story! So just PLEASE review...Cause I only got about three or four reviews for the last chapter. So just keep reviewin' and lettin' me know you're readin', and I'll keep adding the chapters! Kay? Now then...here's chapter 6!  
  
Chapter 6: The Secret Rumor Revealed: Truth?  
  
"Oh..." Bijou sighed. She lay in her cage as the light of the sunset shone brightly through the window. Yesterday's flashbacks soared through her head.  
  
~**~  
  
"There now, that should do it!" Elder Ham said.  
  
"Glad that's done!" Hamtaro exclaimed.  
  
"Well, young lady, how does it feel?" Elder Ham asked.  
  
"It feels...contained." Bijou said.  
  
"Now, Bijou, I know it may not be much fun, but you're gonna have to keep that thing on until you're fully healed!" Boss said.  
  
"Oui..." she sighed.  
  
"That's right, Bijou. In fact, maybe you should stay home for the next couple of days." Hamtaro suggested.  
  
"What?! And miss the wonderful Christmas party?" Bijou asked.  
  
"Hamtaro's right. There's not much work left to be done, so we can handle it ourselves. You just stay home." Boss said.  
  
"We'll come and get ya the day of the Christmas party!" Hamtaro said.  
  
"But if anything happens, like if you feel weak or fall on your cast or somethin', you're goin' straight home, okay?" Boss said.  
  
"Oui..." Bijou sighed, pessimistically. She had worked so hard with Boss and Hamtaro in preparing the Christmas party, and now she might have to miss it. She didn't know what to think.  
  
[9:00 P.M. That Night]  
  
Bijou sighed again. In fact, she felt as if she couldn't stop sighing. She felt as if the joy had been robbed from her holiday season. What if her sprain grew worse? What if Hamtaro thought her clumsy? She didn't know what to do or how to feel. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Psst! Bijou!"  
  
"Heke? Who is there?" she said, with a bit of fear in her voice.  
  
"Like, it's us!"  
  
"Sandy? Pashmina?"  
  
"You got it!" Sandy said as the two of them hopped up to her cage.  
  
"Oh...I am so glad to see you two! How have things been going?" Bijou said, sighing with relief.  
  
"Things have been okay for me." Pashmina said.  
  
"Same here. But, like, I miss everyone so much!" Sandy said.  
  
Bijou giggled.  
  
"Anyway, rumor going around is that you fell and broke your legs today!" Sandy said.  
  
"Heke? Oh...No, I just sprained my ankle." Bijou said, looking down at her cast and frowning again.  
  
Pashmina sweatdropped. "We should have known better than to trust Howdy's wild tales..."  
  
Bijou merely sighed again.  
  
"Whoa, okay, like, what's with you, girlfriend?" Sandy asked.  
  
"Yeah, you don't seem very happy." Pashmina added.  
  
"Well...you girls know about the rumor going around, right?" Bijou asked quietly.  
  
"Uh-huh..."  
  
"Well...I am just afraid that... if I miss the party, I will miss my only opportunity to confess to Hamtaro!" Bijou said, wanting to cry.  
  
Bijou and Pashmina looked at each other, then at Bijou.  
  
"Like, don't cry, Bijou." Sandy said.  
  
"Yeah..." Pashmina said. The two of them looked at each other again. They weren't supposed to tell Boss, Bijou, or Hamtaro about Dexter and Howdy's discovery, but they couldn't stand seeing Bijou like this. Hadn't she gone through enough pain today? She needed SOMETHING to cheer her up. It was then that they both agreed to tell her.  
  
"Bijou..."  
  
She looked up with teary eyes.  
  
"Look, Bijou...The thing is... We found out that..."  
  
"Wh-what is it?" Bijou said.  
  
"Like, don't go talking about this, but..."  
  
Bijou's eyes sparkled and shined, as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hamtaro was going to confess to her! 


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Hmm...Six reviews in twenty days? *shakes head* I think we can do better than that, now, don't you? ^_^; Okies, here's the sugar: I only update when I get five reviews for the newest chapter. So the sooner you review, the sooner I update! Kay? ^^ Anyways, sorry that this A/N isn't very fun...but I gotta do this quick before my comp craps out on me again _;; So here ish the *insert strong, moving verb here* Chapter 7!  
  
Chapter 7: I Love You! Bijou's Confession: Unexpected...  
  
"A Christmas festival for hamsters? Ya don't say!" Boss said, excitedly.  
  
"That's right! I heard about it yesterday, and that's why I came over here! I knew the ham-hams would love the idea." Elder Ham replied, holding up a flyer.  
  
"How exciting! I can't wait!" Hamtaro exclaimed.  
  
"Uh, aren't you forgetting somethin', Hamtaro?" Boss said.  
  
"Heke?" he replied.  
  
"The festival is tomorrow! Tomorrow is the day of the Christmas party we've been working so hard on this whole time!" Boss said.  
  
"Oh, that's right..." Hamtaro said, as his whiskers began to droop.  
  
"I'm sorry, boys, if I had known you were having a party the same day, I would never have gotten your hopes up and told you about the festival. I'm really sorry about that..." Elder Ham said.  
  
"Aw, that's okay, Elder Ham! Besides, with all the work me, Boss, 'n Bijou put into this party, it'll be a zillion times more hamtastic than any old festival!" Hamtaro exclaimed, waving his arms around to show enthusiasm.  
  
"That's the spirit, Hamtaro!" Boss said.  
  
"Well, good luck with the party. I should be on my way now, it's almost getting dark." Elder Ham said, picking up his cane.  
  
"You're leaving already?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Yes, I need to get some last minute shopping done." Elder Ham said, opening the door.  
  
"Well, uh--you're gonna come to the party tomorrow, right?" Boss asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not. I already promised Auntie Viv that I'd take her to the festival. I'll gladly stop by around New Years', though. Bye-q!" Elder Ham said.  
  
"Bye-q!" said Boss and Hamtaro.  
  
In a split second, Elder Ham was gone. Hamtaro and Boss had finished up early that day and were talking to Elder Ham all afternoon. Now it was time to go home and get some rest so no one would be tired at the party tomorrow.  
  
"Well, Hamtaro, I guess you should get going." Boss said.  
  
"Right, Boss!" Hamtaro said.  
  
"But, uh, Hamtaro... Do me a favor and check on Bijou on your way, alright?" Boss said.  
  
"Sure, Boss!" Hamtaro said.  
  
"And, uh...Tell her I said...um...well... Just..tell her I hope she feels alright tomorrow and that I don't mind stopping by to talk if she's lonely..." Boss said, blushing.  
  
"Okay Boss. I'll see ya at the party!" Hamtaro said, dashing off.  
  
"Bye Hamtaro!" Boss said.  
  
As soon as Hamtaro left, Boss did what he had been longing to do. He opened the door to his closet, reached up to the top shelf, and pulled out the gift from Hamtaro. "Now's my chance," he thought, pulling out the note from the envelope.  
  
"Hmm..." he said, reading the note diligently. While reading, he walked into his room. As soon as he stopped reading, he had a relieved look on his face. Then he looked down at the ground to see a seedy mess all over his bedroom floor. "HEKE?! Nooo!! My gift to Bijou!!" he said. He had been working hard on a seed sculpture of the Eiffel Tower for Bijou's Christmas present, along with a scheduled confession. "How could this have happened? What am I gonna do?!" Boss said, bawling. "Wait a minute..." Boss said. "Hmm... heh heh heh..." He had a glint in his eye. "Okay! I need that flyer! Where's the flyer?" Boss said, rushing through the clubhouse  
  
[Bijou's house]  
  
"Oh, Hamtaro, I cannot wait until tomorrow night! We will confess to one another and the ham-hams will be so happy for us! I just know it!" Bijou said. She sighed dreamily, wondering what would be the first thing Hamtaro said to her in his confession. Would it be the immediate "Don't say anything, I love you," or the classic "There's been something I've wanted to say to you since the first time we met"? Bijou blushed lightly and giggled. Then she heard something rustling in the tree outside her window. She looked outside with fright and whimpered, until she saw Hamtaro hop out of the leaves and onto a branch.  
  
"Hamha, Bijou! How's your leg feeling?"  
  
Bijou was speechless. She was just thinking about him, and there he was.  
  
"Bijou? You alright? It's just me." he said.  
  
"Ah...Oui.. I am sorry, I was just a bit deep in thought. Please come in." she said. Hamtaro jumped over to her windowsill and made his way into her cage, then began tucking her in with a blanket of woodshavings.  
  
"So how was the clubhouse? Did everything get finished alright without me?" Bijou said.  
  
"Well, sure, Bijou. I mean, you already did so much work for us, so it was no trouble at all!" Hamtaro said.  
  
Bijou blushed a bit, and Hamtaro did also. "He is so wonderful," Bijou thought. "I do not know what I would have said if he had asked me that question... I probably would have ended up making him feel guilty for not being there or making him feel unneeded! He always knows just what to say..."  
  
"Well, I guess I need to go... Boss misses ya a lot... He says he can always talk if you're lonely." Hamtaro said. "Boss..." he thought. "There's just no way Bijou and I could be together... After all, I'm one of the only people who knows how he feels! Oh, how could I ever tell Bijou what I'm thinking? Hmm...Maybe I should wait until the next century's end... No, that can't be right! Hamsters don't live that long! Oh..."  
  
"Oui. I miss Boss too. And I have missed you very much!" Bijou said, blushing harder.  
  
Hamtaro grew nervous when Bijou blushed at him. He blushed too. But he was nervous...he couldn't betray Boss like this...  
  
"Uh, sorry Bijou, I, uh, really gotta get home!" Hamtaro said. He opened the door of the cage and slowly began to take his route from the windowsill to the tree.  
  
"What is this?" Bijou thought. "He is leaving already? Does he not want to be with me? Or maybe he does not want to take care of me like this, now that my ankle is such a mess? Oh please, Hamtaro, do not leave! I have to do something to get him to stay... I cannot let him leave without saying something..."  
  
Just then, Bijou felt a numbing in her chest. She felt like her heart was pounding so hard that it was ready to race right out of her body. She began to sweat. Her brain felt like it was being twisted. She immediately sat up, causing her blanket of woodchips to fall, and yelled at the top of her lungs...  
  
"HAMTARO, I LOVE YOU!"  
  
About to jump across the windowsill to the branch, Hamtaro stopped cold. He was just thinking about how it would be wrong of him to confess to Bijou, and right there on the spot, she confessed to him. What was he to do now? He couldn't confess back...He needed more time. But the only thing he could think to do was...  
  
...run away.  
  
"Oh, Hamtaro...what have I done?"  
  
--------  
  
BWAHAHAHA! Now THIS is a cliffhanger, ne? XD So are you just gonna sit there and let Hamtaro and Bijou suffer?! Review for the love of hamsters...literally! ^_^;; 


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Wow! I already have nine reviews! Wee! ^____^ Well anyways, sorry 'bout the evilness of that cliffhanger... XD I'm just mean like that...as you probably already know. XP I just like doin' cliffhangers cuz...I dunno, it makes things interesting! ^_^;; But anyways, down to business...Drama is not one of the genres of this fic. The genres are Romance/General. Therefore, it's not gonna be one of those cruel fics that makes Hamtaro run up to Bijou saying "I love you!" and then she runs up to hug him, but trips and smashes her head into the ground and dies...or something like that. o.O They ARE gonna end up together, with maybe one or two roadblocks along the way...But that's just to make their getting-together-ness more special. ^^ Oi...I did it again, I blabbed too much...heh, here's the chapter y'all wanted! XP  
  
Chapter 8: An Unrequited Love? Hamtaro's Side of the Story.  
  
Hamtaro sat in his cage and wondered what to do. He was still a little unsure of his feelings. He wondered why this whole rumor about the angel of love had to be anyway. If it weren't for that rumor, none of this would have happened at all. He and Bijou would still be able to talk to each other without feeling awkward. He thought about when Bijou confessed to him...  
  
"HAMTARO, I LOVE YOU!"  
  
Hamtaro blushed lightly. He began to think about how and when he should react.  
  
"Let's see," he thought. "If I told her how I felt about her, I could maybe do it at the Christmas party... Ahh! But then, what would Boss say? Okay...but if I told her that I really just wanted to stay friends for just a little bit longer, then Boss wouldn't mind! ...Would he? But if I'm gonna tell her that I don't feel the same, I shouldn't get her hopes up by waiting until Christmas Eve! She'll think I AM confessing then! But...I don't know... Should I confess?" Hamtaro pondered. He sighed and began to think about her reactions.  
  
"Hmm... If I told her that I liked her..."  
  
~**~  
  
"Bijou, I'm so happy you confessed to me... I feel the exact same way!" Hamtaro said, blushing and grinning.  
  
Bijou blushed and tears of joy filled her eyes. "Oh Hamtaro!" she said, diving into his arms.  
  
"Bijou..."  
  
~**~  
  
Hamtaro didn't know it, but he was blushing and smiling right then and there. "Bijou... You're so warm..." he thought aloud, hugging himself. He suddenly gasped and realized what he was doing. "Ahh...where was I? Oh yeah... So if I told her that I just wanted to be friends, then..."  
  
~**~  
  
"I'm sorry, Bijou... I'd really just rather stay friends for awhile." Hamtaro said, whiskers drooping.  
  
"You...But I..." Bijou said. She began to cry and buried her face in her paws.  
  
"N-no...Bijou, please, don't cry..." Hamtaro said. Bijou looked up at him and he put his paw to her face, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. "Please don't cry..." he said.  
  
"I..." Bijou began. Hamtaro's face began inching closer and closer to Bijou's, as hers did his.  
  
~**~  
  
"Mm..." Hamtaro moaned softly, with his eyelids softly closed among one another. "Ah...C-cold..." he mumbled, as he slowly opened his eyes. "Gyahh!" he exclaimed. He immediately jumped over to the edge of his cage. "Did I just--pweh!--k-kiss the bars of my cage?!" he said to himself. "But.." he began again, looking out the window beside his cage, "Why did I do something like that, while thinking about....Bijou?" he wondered.  
  
Hamtaro pondered his feelings for a minute. Even when he imagined what it would be like telling Bijou that he only wanted to be friends, he still ended up with that warm feeling. Could this be it? What all those stories are about? What the girls would always talk and giggle about? What he seemed to be the only one who didn't understand? Was this...love? The "warm, fuzzy feeling"... The feeling that you would do anything for that person... The feeling that you needed them and couldn't imagine a day without them... Those feelings he had for Bijou--they fit that description perfectly. So that meant...  
  
"This is...love?" he asked no one in particular. He stopped spacing out and gazed at the moon. It's pale, white glow lit up the darkness around it...  
  
It reminded him of Bijou.  
  
Hamtaro smiled warmly and blushed at the moon. He felt as if Bijou was watching him with the moon, and that made him feel a bit more relaxed. He closed his eyes, fantasized about what his confession would be like, and fell asleep.  
  
~**~  
  
"Schmubby-wubby!" The tiny Bijou yelled excitedly, blushing and jumping up and down. Young Hamtaro tilted his head and started blushing, making the tiny Bijou giggle. Little Boss looked at this, blushing and sweating crazily, until he swallowed hard and tried to speak. "Sch-schmu--"  
  
"Schmubby-wubby!" Hamtaro said in a high-pitched voice, accidentally cutting Boss off. Boss was shocked at what he saw. Was Hamtaro stealing his girl? Bijou began blushing. Boss became so mad, that he actually started sniffling. He sat down right in the sandbox and began to cry. Hamtaro and Bijou looked at each other, then at Boss. Neither of them knew what to do. Boss wailed and wailed until Hamtaro began to walk over to him...  
  
~**~  
  
"H-heke?" Hamtaro said, sitting up. "It was...a dream..." he said, catching his breath. "I don't get it...why do I keep having dreams about me, Bijou and Boss? And why are we all little?" Hamtaro laid back down in his big pile of woodshavings and sighed stressfully. "Does it have anything to do with her confession? Hmm..." Hamtaro sat back up. "Well, I have to tell Bijou how I feel, even if Boss DOES get mad! I'll just have to talk things out with him... But Bijou's the one I love, and I can't let her down, even if it means... losing my friendship with Boss..." Hamtaro said, with a slowness creeping into his voice. "I gotta do it!" he said. "I better get to the clubhouse early... I'll wait all day for Bijou if I have to!" he said to himself.  
  
"Badda badda badda badda... Oopaaaaaaah!" Hamtaro bounced off of Brandy's soft, warm snout. "Merry Christmas, Brandy! Heh, almost, anyway..." he said, giggling. Brandy opened his wide mouth, and Hamtaro was surprised to see a kind of "cloud" come out of Brandy's mouth. "Heke? Wow, I didn't know dogs knew how to make fog! Well, have fun, Brandy! I've got some important stuff to do!" Hamtaro said, as he rushed off to the clubhouse.  
  
(End of Chapter 8)  
  
There, is that not-quite-as-bad a cliffhanger for ya? ^_^; Hehehe...Well, do you wanna see Hamtaro and Bijou together?...I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!...No, really, I can't hear you, sorry. But review, and that'll work ^_^; Besides, there's only...eh...*pulls out an abacus*  
  
....6 more chapters left! So if ya wanna see the H+B-licioustaciousness action, ya better get reviewin'!  
  
Howdy: Heke? ...Where's my abacus?! 


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Wow, the reviews are really coming in! I'm glad! ^_^ So, let's see...*uses the abacus that she still has* For the prologue, I got uh... 4 reviews...Then for...*plays with the beads on the abacus more* Chapter 1, I got....6...Chapter 2?...*still using abacus*......*mumbles*...blah blah blah...so the average is...about 6 or 7 reviews per chapter! @_@ So...*uses abacus again*...by the time this fic is finished, I should have at least....*switches beads around*.... 90-105 reviews! YAY!  
  
Howdy: *crawling around under the round table* ...*head pops out* Has anyone seen my abacus? Dern thing's gone missin'!  
  
^^;; Heh...Hey Howdy, I've got it over he--  
  
Howdy: O_O I hope someone didn't steal it! Cuz if they did, I'll tear 'em apart! Limb from li--oh, sorry, did you say somethin', missy?  
  
O.O Err...Yeah! I said that I uh...hope you find your abacus! Heh...eh.. ^^;;;  
  
Howdy: Oh. Well, thanks! Wanna help me look?  
  
Uh...M-maybe later. ^^; Right now we gotta get back to the story.  
  
Howdy: Heke? Story?  
  
Yeeeeeeah...the whole "Christmas Eve confession" thing, remember?  
  
Howdy: O_O So people can see me?! HOWDY, MOM!! *waves insanely*  
  
o.O -_-' ...*drags Howdy back into the story* Anyways, here's chapter 9. ^^  
  
Chapter 9: Where Could Bijou Be? Party Member Lost!  
  
"Uh, hey Hamtaro, I wasn't expectin' you so soon." Boss said, looking up from the flyer Elder Ham had left the day before. "Something wrong?" he asked, looking back down at the flyer.  
  
"Oh, nothin' really, Boss... I just really need to talk to Bi--" Hamtaro stopped right in his tracks as Boss immediately looked up from the flyer again.  
  
"What did you say?!" Boss snapped.  
  
"Eh.." Hamtaro was struck nearly speechless. Then he began to cough. "Uh, sorry, Boss, I eh, *cough* have a cold, so *cough* sometimes my speech isn't very clear. What I was saying was that I *cough* really...needed to... come here and make sure everything was okay! I mean...We worked so hard on the decorations and the food--"  
  
"Erm...Right, Hamtaro. Uh, sorry I yelled atcha. I just have a lot on my mind this holiday season, that's all."  
  
"Heh, it's alright, Boss, I understand." Hamtaro understood, alright. He felt terrible for lying to Boss like that, but he knew that Boss would be furious if he found out about Hamtaro's feelings. He wasn't ready for Boss to find out before everyone else... He knew Boss would be upset when Hamtaro made his confession.  
  
Boss, however, had other plans for Bijou...  
  
[6:00 P.M.]  
  
"Hamha, Dexter! Merry Christmas!" Hamtaro said cheerfully.  
  
"Oh, it's a merrier one than you think, Hamtaro..." he thought to himself. "Good evening, Hamtaro. How has your December been?"  
  
"Terrific! We've had lots of fun helping prepare for the party! Right, Boss?" he replied, turning to Boss.  
  
"Uh..er, yeah." he said. Boss had been sitting in his chair for the past twenty minutes, while Hamtaro had been nervously pacing around the door, supposedly "anxious for the party to start", and the minute Boss laid his eyes on Dexter walking through his door, he gave him a dirty look. Lucky for him, Dexter's first gaze was laid upon Hamtaro, because he was the one who had answered the door. "Just be patient," Boss thought to himself. "They'll accept it when your own time with Bijou comes..."  
  
Boss's thoughts were disrupted by another creaking of the clubhouse door.  
  
"Hamtaro! Merry Christmas! I sure missed ya, buddy." said a familiar, stuffy voice.  
  
"Hamha, Oxnard! Merry Christmas! I've missed you too!"  
  
"Oh boy, this party is gonna be teriffic! Oh gosh, I sure wish Pepper were here," Oxy said, blushing quite faintly.  
  
Just then, the door opened again, and in walked Pashmina and Penelope.  
  
"Hamha, everyone!" Pashmina said.  
  
"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope's voice rang out.  
  
"Merry Christmas, you two!" Hamtaro said excitedly.  
  
"Alright, alright, everyone, spread out. Ya don't wanna block the doorway for all the other ham-hams, now, do ya?" Boss said, trying to keep in the holiday spirit.  
  
"Boss is right. Let's go sit at the table and wait for awhile." Dexter said.  
  
"Maybe we could play a game while we wait!" Pashmina said.  
  
"Ookwee!"  
  
"Well, I dunno about you guys, but parties always make me hungry!" Oxnard said.  
  
"There are plenty of snacks over there!" Hamtaro said, pointing to the snack table. "Help yourself!"  
  
One by one, more hamsters came to the party. Sandy, Maxwell, and Stan showed up together, then came Panda with Cappy. Later, Howdy, who had supposedly been in an awful fruitcake incident, arrived late.   
  
[8:25 P.M.]  
  
"Looks like everybody's here!" Panda said cheerfully.  
  
"Naw, not everyone..." Boss began.  
  
"That's right, Bijou isn't here yet!" Hamtaro said. Suddenly he was filled with terrible thoughts. Why wasn't Bijou there? The party ended at ten... Could her sprain have gotten worse? Or what if she was so upset about Hamtaro running away that she---no, Bijou wouldn't do something like that.  
  
Boss was worried about Bijou as well. He had planned to take her to the festival before Hamtaro had the chance to take out that note, and confess to her himself. Maybe the idea of someone else loving her would take her mind off of Hamtaro...at least for a little bit.  
  
"Boss, I think I'm gonna go to Bijou's house and see what's taking so long." Hamtaro said.  
  
"NO!" Boss said.  
  
Hamtaro froze for a quick three seconds, then asked "Why not, Boss?"  
  
"Err... Hamtaro, I'll go get her. I need you to, uh..." Boss looked around and saw Howdy and Dexter arguing at the punch bowl.  
  
"I...need you to make sure those two don't start a fight!" Boss said, pointing toward the quarreling hamsters.  
  
"But Boss, you're a lot stronger than me." Hamtaro said.  
  
"Well, you're pretty patient, Hamtaro, and...I don't wanna use brute force or anything. You just make sure nothing happens between any of the ham-hams, okay?"  
  
"Uh...okay..." Hamtaro said, still confused.  
  
"Thanks, Hamtaro. I'll be going now, but I'll be back soon!" Boss said, heading out the door.  
  
"Bye-Q!" Hamtaro said, waving.  
  
Boss shut the door, ran up the tunnel, and headed straight to Bijou's house.  
  
"Hmm...I guess now would be a good time..." Hamtaro thought. He ran over to the round table, unexpectedly stood on top of it, and yelled "Ham-hams! Can I please have your undivided attention?"  
  
All went silent. Hamtaro then walked over to the closet and pulled out the familiar looking present. Everyone was shocked.  
  
"That's the present for Bijou!" Howdy whispered.  
  
"But Bijou isn't here yet!" Cappy said softly.  
  
"What could be taking so long?" Panda wondered aloud.  
  
The ham-hams stood there, silent and confused, as Hamtaro lifted the gift upon the table. He pulled out the note and began reading.  
  
"Ahem... Dear Ham-hams..."  
  
**end of Chap. 9**  
  
A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuuun! Hamtaro's reading the note, but Bijou's not there to hear about it! Will Bijou get there in time? What is Boss gonna do about all this? Just what does the WHOLE note say? And will Howdy ever get his abacus back?!  
  
Howdy: Now THAT'S the big question!  
  
^^;;...*still hiding it behind her back* See if you can find out next chapter! In the meantime, get to sendin' those reviews!  
  
Howdy: ;_; I won't be able to count all of 'em without my abacus...  
  
Eh, d-dun worry, I can count 'em for ya...eheh...^^;; 


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Hello again, all! Okay, I'm on another computer right now, because I'm someplace else! I'm at my dad's job! But shh! Don't tell him that I'm uploadin' here, okies?^^ Sorry if this chapter looks screwed up...something's wrong with the notepad thing here X_X;  
  
Howdy: It's probably the work of that no-good, dirty, abacus thief! Oooh, I'll rip 'em apart if I ever find 'em! Hmm...Could it be one-a yer dad's fellow employees?  
  
O_O No, Howdy, no! Just get back in the story!  
  
Howdy: Aw, shucks, I'm gonna catch that thief, I swear it! *runs off*  
  
-_-; Looks like I'll be chasing him for awhile. In the meantime, enjoy Chapter 10. ^^ *runs off too* HOWDY, GET BACK HERE! @_@  
  
Chapter 10: Boss's Plan: A Lie? Misconcepted Pashmina.  
  
"I cannot believe I was so ridiculous... Poor Hamtaro must be worried, and it is all because of me!" Bijou thought. "And what was that dream about?"  
  
~**~  
  
Hamtaro walked over to the small, sobbing Boss and tapped him on the shoulder. Boss turned around, and when he saw Hamtaro and Bijou together, his eyes filled with tears once again. He stood up and looked Hamtaro straight in the eye. Then, suddenly, he rested his head on Hamtaro's shoulder and cried right then and there. Then he looked up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and held out his paw.  
  
"Hammo?" he said, cracking a small smile.  
  
"Ham..mo?" Hamtaro said, reaching out his paw.  
  
The two of them clasped their paws together and slowly shook them. Young Hamtaro didn't quite grasp the concept at first, but when Boss started moving his paw up and down, he began doing so too.  
  
Then the little Boss slowly crept over to Bijou and held his paw out to her. "H-h-h-hammo?" he said, swallowing hard and blushing lightly.  
  
Bijou put her paw out and smiled, then gently clasped Boss's and shook it. "Hammo!" she said in a cheerful voice. Boss became redder than ever.  
  
~**~  
  
Little did Bijou know that her secret admirer, Boss, was dobo-doboing up the tree outside her yard that very moment. He hopped straight from the branch to her windowsill and knocked on her cage gently.  
  
"Oh my!" Bijou said, turning around. "Boss... What in the world are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the party?"  
  
"Well, uh... We were all really worried about you, Bijou. Do you need help getting to the party?" Boss asked.  
  
"I... I am sorry, Boss... I just do not feel like going to the party." Bijou said sadly.  
  
"W-why not?" he asked timidly.  
  
"Well..." she sobbed a bit. "I heard that Hamtaro was going to confess to me, and..."  
  
Boss's ears twitched. How did she find out? And why was she avoiding Hamtaro?  
  
"And then I jumped ahead and confessed to him, but...he... ran away from me... And I do not know if I am ready to face him."  
  
Boss was furious. Hamtaro was so lucky... He was confessed to by the lovely Bijou, and he turned tail and ran! "If I were confessed to by her, I would have been overjoyed!" he thought.  
  
"Um...Well, I'm, uh...sorry to hear that, Bijou... But, y'know, I, uh..." Boss wanted to tell her about the festival, but he saw the sadness on her face, and knew it would be wrong to keep her from Hamtaro.  
  
"You what? What is it, Boss?" she asked.  
  
"I...think you should go face Hamtaro if that's what your heart tells ya to do..." he said nervously.  
  
Bijou looked at Boss and knew that he was right. No matter how scary it would be to face Hamtaro, she had to do it. Even if they didn't end up together, at least it wouldn't be because she was a coward.  
  
"Boss, you are so very right. Thank you so much." Bijou said as she stood up and reached for her walking stick. "Would you walk to the clubhouse with me?"  
  
Boss blushed deeply. He knew he had done the right thing, but still felt disappointed that his plans for going to the festival with Bijou were ruined. "S-sure, B-Bijou." he said. He took her on his back and jumped from the windowsill to the branch.  
  
When Bijou saw Boss blush, she finally understood. "Does he always blush like that? Wait..." she pondered, thinking back on the redness of Boss's face from the past. "So...that is why he didn't like it when Hamtaro and I were talking... That is why he interfered so much... He likes...moi?"  
  
"Thank you, Boss. I think I can walk from here." she said, climbing off his back.  
  
While running to the clubhouse, Boss didn't know what to think. "Should I really be doing this? I mean... I told Bijou to follow her heart...so, shouldn't I be following mine?" he thought.  
  
When they arrived, Boss helped Bijou walk down the tunnel. "Careful, now. Don't walk too fast." he said.  
  
"I am fine." Bijou said. She had butterflies in her stomach and couldn't imagine what it was going to be like facing Hamtaro after that confession. It would be too awkward to act like nothing happened...  
  
They were about to walk in, when, all of a sudden, out walked Oxnard with a pair of red-and-green hamster-sized earmuffs.  
  
"Heke? Oh, welcome back, Boss! Hi Bijou, Merry Christmas!" he said, cheerfully.  
  
"Hello Oxnard, happy holidays!" Bijou said, cheering up a bit.  
  
"Thanks, Oxnard. Now, please excuse us, we've got to get inside before Bijou gets cold." Boss said as Bijou walked past the two of them. Bijou opened the door and was appauled at what she saw...  
  
"Go ahead, Pashmina! Reach in and see what you get!" Hamtaro said, smiling.  
  
"Okay, Hamtaro!" Pashmina said as she placed her paws into the box and pulled out a red scarf with a green holly-print on it. She took a deep breath and exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, Hamtaro, it's beautiful! Thank you so much!" she said as she put it on (Penelope was still wearing the pink one).  
  
Tears quickly began to fill Bijou's eyes. She couldn't believe it. Wasn't Pashmina her best friend? Wasn't Pashmina one of the people who told her about the rumor in the first place? No...It wasn't Pashmina's fault that Hamtaro liked her instead of herself... Bijou didn't know what to do or think. She felt just like Hamtaro did after she confessed to him. So she went ahead and...  
  
...ran away, crying.  
  
Hamtaro heard her cries and looked over where she was.  
  
"Oh no, Bijou! Wait!" he called out.  
  
"Uh, Hamtaro, I think she got the wrong idea! She thinks you're confessing to Pashmina!" Oxnard said.  
  
"But I don't understand! Why would she think that?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Bijou, come back! It's not what you think!" Boss yelled, immediately chasing after her.  
  
"Well, y'see, Hamtaro, that present..." Oxnard began, as he explained Dexter and Howdy's discovery and hypothesis.  
  
Meanwhile, Boss finally caught up with Bijou.  
  
"Bijou, listen to me! Back there, it wasn't what it loo--"  
  
Bijou looked at Boss through teary, red eyes, and then looked down. He was speechless. He couldn't stand to see her like that.  
  
"B-Bijou... Listen..." he said, blushing.  
  
Bijou was still looking down, then she wiped her tears and interrupted Boss. "I do not want to go back there...so..." she then looked up and smiled. "Since it is Christmas Eve, Boss, would you like to go somewhere?"  
  
Boss blushed deeply and thought hard. "I should tell her the truth, and that it was just a mishap...but... then again, since the letter wasn't a confession to her, then maybe Hamtaro wasn't planning on confessing after all... Maybe just a LITTLE time at the festival wouldn't hurt..."  
  
"Well, Boss?" she asked, still smiling and hiding her pain.  
  
He couldn't bear it any longer. He shoved his conscience away with the words "I-I'd love to, Bijou! In fact, there's a Christmas festival taking place tonight, and I know just where to go!"  
  
(End of chapter 10)  
  
Heh heh...'nother loooovely cliffhanger from yours truly! XD Now before you go and review, I just wanna say somethin. Boss is my FAVORITE character. I know there are a LOT of Boss-haters out there, but please, please, PLEASE do not diss Boss in your reviews. I know you don't like him, but I do, and I dun wanna hear stuff like "omg!!11one boss ue prikc i wanna see hamtaro & bijou togteher!!!11!!1one!!1! h+b h+b h+b h+b h+b!!!!" Got it? And if you DO flame about Boss, then I'm not gonna update! So nyeh! :3  
  
Howdy: O_O Boss's yer fave?! I always thought I was yer fave! What's not to like about ME?  
  
¬_¬ ...Howdy, go look for your abacus.  
  
Howdy: Oh yeah! HOO! *runs over to Dexter* Where's my abacus, you?!  
  
Dexter: o_o ...Abacus?  
  
Howdy: I know YER the one who took it!  
  
Dexter: O_O I most certainly would never steal! Hmmph!  
  
-_-;; I'm gonna be here for awhile. Anyways, review, whilst I break these two up, okies?^^ 


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: *looks at last chapter* Phew...it came out okay ^_^; Man, the way wordpad was working on that computer, I was afraid no one'd be able to read it! o_O Meh, anyways....*throws confetti everywhere* YAY!! No Boss-flaming! ^_______^ That makes me sooooooo happy :3 Thanks, you guys^^  
  
Howdy: *blows a noisemaker* ...Wait a minute, what am I doin'?! I still gotta look for my abacus! ; *runs up to Dexter, who is wearing a party hat* GIMME BACK MY ABACUS!!  
  
Dexter: *wearing a party hat* O_O I told you, I don't have your abacus! _;  
  
Howdy: DON'T YOU LIE TO ME! IT'S CHRISTMAS, YOU HEARTLESS WIMP!  
  
Dexter: O__O _ What did you just say?! *presses snout against Howdy's* I'm not a liar, not a wimp, and I'm CERTAINLY not heartless! How else could I love my dear Pashmina to the fullest?!  
  
Howdy: Oh no, you did NOT just go there! It's on now, smart guy!  
  
*Howdy and Dexter start fighting in a big grey cartooney cloud thingy*  
  
O_O err... *still has the abacus behind her back* ^^;; Let's get on with the fic....while I break these two up AGAIN. ¬¬;  
  
Chapter 11: Lost Love? Bijou and Boss Gone: Suspicious...  
  
"It was Dexter's fault! He's the one who assumed confession!" Howdy yelled.  
  
"Me?! You're the one who jumped to conclusions!" Dexter snapped back.  
  
"Well, 'scuse me, but YER the one who read the note, remember?!"  
  
"Only because I was the only one who COULD read! Besides, you told me you needed me for help, not for breaking into the stash of Christmas gifts!"  
  
"Hey, hey, if ya REALLY didn't wanna do it, you coulda left, genius!"  
  
"Why you--"  
  
"YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF!" Sandy yelled above the bickering.  
  
"Placing the blame on another isn't going to help you, Hamtaro, Bijou, or anyone else!" Maxwell added.  
  
"Maxwell's right! The only way to find out where Bijou and Boss are is to work together!" Panda exclaimed.  
  
"Uh...Hamtaro? You okay, dude?" Stan said.  
  
Hamtaro wasn't okay. Too much had happened too soon for him to be okay. It all ran through his mind... Laura leaving for vacation, hard work and preparation for the party, the rumor, the "chipmunks", Bijou's confession, and the long, painful anxiety of waiting for tonight... He couldn't think. Where would Bijou go? Was Boss with her? And if he was...what were they doing?  
  
"...Hamtaro?" Cappy said softly.  
  
"Heke? Oh, uh, yeah... I'm fine, really..." Hamtaro said. Cappy frowned. He knew that Hamtaro wasn't fine like he said he was, and felt even worse because he didn't know of anything he could do about it.  
  
"Where could they have gone?" Hamtaro thought. "They must have gone somewhere together... After all, Boss does like Bijou a lot...just like me... Maybe I should just let them be together...after all, Boss did see her first... Wait a minute! Wasn't Boss looking at that flyer that Elder Ham showed us?" Hamtaro thought, remembering what Boss had been looking at when he had walked into the clubhouse that morning. "So...He took Bijou...to..."  
  
"Hey ham-hams! Stop chatting and listen up!" Hamtaro said, turning every head in the room (excluding Snoozer).  
  
"Okay, I think I know where Boss and Bijou went! Everyone, there's a Christmas festival especially for hamsters that Elder Ham told us about! Boss was looking at it this morning, so I think he mighta been planning something!"  
  
Sandy gasped. "W-why would Boss do something like that?"  
  
"Ooh, I can't believe him!" Pashmina said.  
  
"The nerve 'a them field hamsters these days!" Howdy said.  
  
"Look, you guys, the truth is that Boss has liked Bijou a lot longer than I have!" Hamtaro said.  
  
The ham-hams were surprised at Hamtaro's outburst. Hamtaro and Boss were practically "rivals for Bijou's love", and yet Hamtaro still stuck up for Boss when the others were talking bad about him. The ham-hams had always known Hamtaro to be noble, and knew that he was right. They all felt a little bad, wishing they could all be as patient as he was.  
  
"Okay, so anyway, that must be where they are! Now I think we should all split up into teams of two!"  
  
"But Hamtaro, there are eleven of us! Uh, well, except for Snoozer, here, but I don't think he's goin' anywhere..." Oxnard said, nervously chewing on a sunflower seed.  
  
"Penelope will be in the group of three since she's only a baby. Oxnard, you go with Dexter. Maxwell, you'll be looking with Panda. Pashmina and Sandy, you two look while watching over Penelope. Howdy, you look with Stan. Cappy...you're with me. Does everyone know who they're looking with?"  
  
The ham-hams nodded.  
  
"Right! Okay, ham-hams, to the festival!" Hamtaro said, waving the flyer toward the clubhouse door.  
  
**end of Chapter 11**  
  
Heh...How coincidental is that, huh? The author's note starts out with Dexter and Howdy arguing--*dodges a seed being thrown*--and so does the chapter ^^; I didn't even notice that! o_O;  
  
Howdy: *throws another seed* TAKE THAT BACK!  
  
Dexter: *dodges it* Never!  
  
Howdy: I know you did it!  
  
Dexter: I'm not a thief!! ;  
  
O__O ...*is now afraid to tell Howdy the truth* ^^;; Well, uh, looks like I failed to break this fight up, so I'll just keep working on it!  
  
Snoozer: *snores* Tell the truth...zu...zu....  
  
¬¬;; *shoves Snoozer into a cabinet* Stop making me feel guilty! .   
  
O_O *dodges another seed* Oi..what am I gonna doooo? @_@ Well, maybe if you guys review, that'll take a lil' off my mind ^^ *nudge, nudge* Oh, and another thing... Happy birthday to my favorite Ham-ham!! ^______^ *throws more confetti*  
  
Howdy: Heke? It's not my birthday yet!  
  
*anime falls* -_-;; I told you, Howdy...oh, nevermind. Just keep the reviews comin', y'all! ^^ 


	13. Chapters 12 and 13

A/N: O____O Whoa! It's been so long since I've updated! Yikes...Sorry everybody^^;; I guess it's just kinda been awhile since I've visited ff.net. Uhh, the delay was because...um... I was...busy tying Dex and Howdy down! Y-yeah, that's it! They were fighting so much that--  
  
Howdy: GIMME MY ABACUS, DEXTER!   
  
._.;; bah... I should tell him that I took the abacus, ne?  
  
Dexter: O_O So YOU took it?! Well tell him, and get him off my back already!   
  
O_O Uhh... *shoves Dex* Go fight like a man! _;; ^^;; Anyways, again, I'm really sorry for not updating in so long, so as a special treat, I'm putting in both chapter 12 and 13! Enjoy! ^_^  
  
Chapter 12: Boss and Bijou Found! Truth Revealed: Innocence!  
  
"Well, how about the ferris wheel?" Bijou said.  
  
"Uh..." Boss began, looking at his feet. "I, uh..."  
  
"Hm? What is it, Boss, is something the matter?" Bijou asked.  
  
"Uh, n-no, of course not, Bijou!" Boss said, looking up. "It's perfect! I-I'm having a wonderful time! I...should be enjoying myself like this..." Boss looked at his feet again. "I'm...having so much fun with you, that I...don't want it to ever stop... There isn't anywhere else in the world I'd rather be..."  
  
Bijou glanced at Boss. Was this it? Instead of being confessed to by the one she had only hoped for love from, she was going to be confessed to by the one she had seen as an older brother? "Hamtaro did not confess to me..." she thought. "...so the least I can do is let Boss have a happy holiday..."  
  
"Boss, is there...something that you wanted to tell me?" Bijou said, almost wanting to cry. "Why am I so upset?" she thought. "I should not be so selfish... Many people do not get to be with the ones they want... And besides, someone actually loves me... I am lucky for that!" she thought deeper, trying to crack a smile.  
  
"Bi-Bijou... The truth is..." Boss said, turning redder and redder by every word he spoke. Then, he was cut off by a loud screech. Nearby was a bicycling ham-ham with two familiar faces climbing off the bike...one of which was holding a box.  
  
"C'mon, you gotta be kidding! Don't be so cheap!" the owner of the bicycle said, obnoxiously.  
  
"L-look, uh, sorry, dude, can I give you an IOU?" Stan said, sweating.  
  
"Ya can't get blood outta a turnip! That's all the seeds we got with us! Hmph!" Howdy said, walking off.  
  
"Look, sorry man, we're in a hurry. It's a race...for true love! And, uh...Christmasey-mushy kinda stuff like that. See--" Stan began.  
  
"Fine, fine, don't gimme the details. Spare the sap, the ride's on the house." he said. "Merry Christmas!" He yelled, riding off.  
  
Howdy and Stan ran over to Boss and Bijou the minute they saw them.  
  
"Howdy? Stan? What in the world--shouldn't you be at the party?"  
  
"The party was cancelled as soon as you two went missin'! Now then..." Howdy said, reaching into the pocket of his apron. He pulled out a note and handed it to Bijou. "Here, read this!"  
  
Bijou saw that the note was the same one attatched to Hamtaro's gift. "No...no thank you. I do not want to see that. What good would that do now? I know the truth about what happened at the party." She sighed sadly. Boss remembered his guilt of knowing what the note was really about, and the guilt quickly started to grow more and more.  
  
"C'mon, Bijou, you gotta read it! If ya do--" Howdy was cut off.  
  
"No thank you!" Bijou said firmly and angrily, slapping the note right out of Howdy's paw.  
  
Boss looked at the shock on Howdy's face, then the anger on Bijou's. He couldn't stand it anymore... He knew that if he really loved and cared for Bijou, he wouldn't keep secrets like this from her. He bent over and picked up the note, then slowly started to read in a weak voice.  
  
"Dear Ham-Hams, thank you for everything you've done for me up until now. The time has come for me to be honest and tell everyone how I feel..."  
  
"Boss, I have heard enough. Let's go on the ferris wheel now." Bijou said as she began to walk away with her stick. Boss stopped her and forcefully grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"I'm not finished...Bijou! Just...listen!" Boss said, continuing. "Ever since the first day I met my new friends, my feelings have fluttered all because of who I care about very much, and things haven't seemed to have changed since..."  
  
Bijou slightly grunted, trying to pull away from Boss's grip.  
  
"And now, I feel like I haven't appreciated it enough. I love all of you, ham-hams. I feel as if I could spend the rest of my life with you, and I hope that these...wonderful days of paradise, playing and meeting with you every day...continue for the rest of my life..." Boss started to break up a little. "All my love...and hope for our future..." he stopped to sniffle. "Hamtaro."  
  
Bijou couldn't believe it. "So...the note was not for Pashmina after all?"  
  
"Naw, Bijou, he gave gifts to all of us! You just happened to walk in when Pashmina was gettin' hers!"  
  
"Yeah, that's why the box was so heavy. And look!" Stan said, opening the box he was holding. He pulled out a pair of red ribbons and a red santa-like coat. "Yours was the biggest out of all of them!" Stan exclaimed.  
  
"But...What if that is just...coincidence?" Bijou wondered aloud. "What if Hamtaro...still does not understand my feelings for him? After all, that present was for all of the ham-hams...and it is the special Christmas Eve where all of your dreams come true if...if you..."  
  
"Bijou, he even told all of us that he liked you back at the clubhouse. What more proof do you need?" Stan said sternly.  
  
"I... Oh, but...Stan, you do not mind? Back at Acorn Mountain, when Hamtaro and I--"  
  
"Yeah, well I'm...just in the mood for Christmas, that's all..." Stan said, folding his arms.  
  
Bijou smiled. "Merci beacoup, Stan. Merci beacoup, Howdy. Though...I... I just do not know... Maybe I should not bother Hamtaro..." she said, beginning to feel discouraged.  
  
"Bi..." Boss said, stopping to sniffle again. "Bijou..." he said, looking away. Bijou looked at him, worried. Should she let Boss be happy, or go be with Hamtaro?  
  
"You...only have until midnight tonight... I was gonna tell you that..." his speech became stuffy as he tried to hold back his crying. "That...my wish...for this special Christmas Eve is... the only thing I want this year is.... for you...to be...happy... with whoever it is you want to be happy with. Now...it's the one special Eve where any wish you want...can come true...so..." He turned around and smiled at Bijou, looking at her through teary eyes. "You have to hurry." he said softly.  
  
Bijou was nearly silenced. Boss was letting her go? "I cannot believe it..." she thought. "If Hamtaro loved someone other than me...I do not think I would be able to give him up so easily...even if it did make him happy... Boss must love me more than I thought he did..."  
  
"Merci, Boss. Thank you very much for your kindness. Merry Christmas, all of you." she said. "Do any of you know where Hamtaro might be?" she asked, trying to seem more grateful than impatient.  
  
"He and Cappy are searching around the Northwest area of the park." Stan said.  
  
"Searching? For what?" Bijou said.  
  
"For a certain 'lil French ham-girl who ran off!" Howdy said, smirking.  
  
"Hey, hey! Don't make things any worse!" Boss said, roughly scrunching his nose against Howdy's.  
  
"Oh my goodness! They are looking for me? Oh dear I must go find them!"  
  
"All right! C'mon, you two, let's get goin'!" Howdy said, running over to Bijou's side.  
  
"Right!" Stan said, running towards them.  
  
"What's the hold up, Boss-man?" Stan asked.  
  
"Uh... Y-you guys go ahead. I think I'm gonna...maybe ride a couple-a rides before we go back to the clubhouse."  
  
"Okay, Boss." Bijou said. She figured he had earned a break from running around. After all, he had just gone through something very painful for him. "Well, let's go, boys!" she said.  
  
Howdy looked back at Boss. He had said that he wanted to go on rides...but Howdy knew it was something deeper than that. He saw the dishonesty and heartbreak in Boss's eyes...and wanted to do something about it.  
  
"Uh...Bijou? I think I'm gonna stay here for awhile 'n...maybe uh...get some popcorn!" Howdy said.  
  
"Heke?" Boss thought.  
  
"Oui. Alright then." Bijou said. She and Stan were off to find Hamtaro, along with the other ham-hams still looking.  
  
"Well, Boss, which ride d'ya wanna go on first? Ya up to a roller coaster? Yee haw!"  
  
Boss sweatdropped. "...Alright..." he muttered.  
  
****end of chapter 12****  
  
Dexter: *eyes Ravens suspiciously* Well, Boss came clean, shouldn't you?  
  
*sigh* Alright. Howdy!  
  
Howdy: WHERE IS IT---Heke?  
  
I took the abacus! I'm sorry! @_@ *gives abacus back*  
  
Howdy: Oh...Heh, well, there it is. No problem.  
  
Er...that's it? O_O You're not mad? Well, you should apologize to Dex for accusing him so much^^;;  
  
Howdy: ¬_¬ ...Well...Alright. Sorry bout that, Dex.  
  
Dexter: *sigh* It's alright, it was just a misunderstanding.  
  
Howdy: Hyuk...a lil embarrassin', too. ^^; *turns a little red*  
  
O_O HEY HEY HEY! I promised no yaoi or yuri in this story!  
  
Howdy and Dexter: O_____O HEKE?! *back away from each other*  
  
...o.o right. -_- Anyways, here's chapter 13!  
  
Chapter 13: Almost There! Confession Time? Ready!  
  
"Oh dear! I am so sorry, sir, I did not mean to--Panda?" Bijou said.  
  
"Bi-Bijou? Hey Maxwell, look! It's Bijou! And...Stan?" Panda said curiously.  
  
"Hmm? Hey Bijou!" Maxwell said, running over. "Wait...If Bijou's here, then where's Boss?"  
  
"Boss was with me. He and Howdy are out on the rides now." Bijou said.  
  
"Oh, I see." Maxwell said.  
  
"Well, if you see the two of them again, would you tell Boss that we're going to all meet at the Minihamuzu show at midnight? They're calling it "Merryhamuzu", and we're gonna watch it and then go home." Panda said.  
  
"Oh my, that sounds so exciting!" Bijou said.  
  
"Oh, Bijou, Hamtaro wanted us to tell you something else too!" Maxwell said.  
  
"Heke? What is it?" Bijou said.  
  
"You're supposed to meet him just before the show at the Moonlight Bridge." Maxwell said, pulling out a map.  
  
"The...Moonlight Bridge?" Bijou asked.  
  
"Yes, see?" he continued, pointing to it. "It's called the Moonlight Bridge, because the moonlight always hits the pond underneath it at night, and it's magnificent!"  
  
"It's a very romantic meeting place, Bijou. He's probably got a good confession in store for you!" Panda said cheerfully.  
  
Bijou felt as excited as when Pashmina and Sandy told her about the gift. This time, maybe it would be for real! She turned a deep, deep red and fantasized of what may happen at the bridge. "Oh, it will be just like in all of Maxwell's romance novels that Sandy has told me about!"  
  
"Well, I guess we all better get going! We need to tell more ham-hams that we found you!" Maxwell said.  
  
"Oui!" Bijou said, still excited.  
  
"Bye-Q!" Maxwell exclaimed.  
  
"Later, you guys!" Panda said.  
  
"See ya!" Stan yelled. He and Bijou continued walking down the busy roads of the festival.  
  
[11:30 P.M.]  
  
As it started to snow, Bijou and Stan decided it was time for them to start making their way to the theater entrance.  
  
"Hey Bijou, you want a snack or somethin'?" Stan asked.  
  
Bijou didn't even hear Stan. She was too busy thinking about the Moonlight Bridge confession. "Oh it will be absolutely perfect! The thought of a moonlit lake reminds me of France! Oh, I can see it now... He will tell me how he feels, and I will tell him once again, and he will be so happy when he notices me wearing the beautiful coat and ribbons that he ga--" Bijou froze right there.  
  
"Huh? Uh, what's the matter, Bijou?" Stan said, stopping and looking back at Bijou.  
  
"Stan...Where is my present from Hamtaro?" she asked quietly.  
  
"The present? Oh yeah, it's...uh..." Stan began sweating. "Oh jeez! We must have left it over on that bench by the ferris wheel!"  
  
"What?!" Bijou exclaimed. She began running over to the southern side of the park.  
  
"Wow, she's pretty athletic for a French chick!" Stan thought. "Hey Bijou, slow down!" he said, chasing her. "Wow, Hamtaro's lucky! She's got a sweet butt!" Stan thought to himself, grinning.  
  
[Among the others at the fair...]  
  
"Well, the show's gonna start soon, so I guess we better start heading toward the stage entrance..." Boss mumbled.  
  
"Yeah..." Howdy sighed. "I guess so."  
  
The two of them started walking along the path. Boss had a caramel-covered sunflower seed, from which he had taken one bite. Howdy looked at him and was...a little concerned.  
  
"Uh..hey, Boss? You eatin' that thing or what?" Howdy said softly. For the first time, he was actually trying not to be loud and obnoxious.  
  
"Huh? Oh! Uh, this? Krrmp-krrmp-krrmp! Hehe...delicious!" Boss said. Soon enough, though, he stopped eating and stared back into space.  
  
Howdy looked at him again. He thought he had seen a tear trickle down Boss's cheek. He had never seen Boss so serious about his sadness before. It reminded him of...himself.  
  
"Boss, are you--"  
  
Boss moaned and cut Howdy off. "Look, Howdy, if you want the seed, just say so, okay?"  
  
"Uh...it's not that..." Howdy said nervously.   
  
"Let's stop and rest for a minute, my paws are killin' me." Boss said, walking over to a nearby bench.  
  
Howdy said nothing and just sat next to him.  
  
"Quite honestly, Howdy...This Christmas sucks ass." Boss said.  
  
"Heh, yeah.." Howdy snickered a bit. Boss had usually been pretty good about watching his mouth around the ham-hams, so Howdy had never heard him swear so freely before... It sounded a bit funny to him. Now he wanted to talk to Boss about it pretty badly...No one had ever understood him very well before, and...well, maybe this would be it.  
  
"Boss-man..." Howdy said.  
  
"Hm?" Boss replied, still staring out into space with the cold look on his chilled face.  
  
"You were plannin' on tellin Bijou that ya love her tonight, weren't you?" Howdy said in a surprisingly serene voice.  
  
Boss pressed his eyebrows firmly onto his half-numb face, trying to keep the tears from starting again. He shook his head and mumbled an "Mm-mm".  
  
Howdy didn't understand why he denied it. He was making it a bit harder for them to connect, which was what he was aiming for. He decided to somewhat play along.  
  
"Okay..." He began. "But don't feel bad... No matter how special today might be, I guess that means that not everyone gets to confess their love and...I dunno, live happily ever after, or whatever... Heck, look at me..."  
  
"Heke?" Boss looked down at Howdy through his pair of old, tear-filled eyes. "But Howdy... Don't you have Pashmina? I mean, I guess it's... not too late to confess to her, ya know..." Boss cut himself off, sniffling some more.  
  
"Well, y'see..." Howdy said, as he moved his arms behind his head to relax. "All through the party, she was laughin' 'n singin' 'n havin' a lotta fun with Dexter and Stan! Of course, Stan just probably joined in since Bijou wasn't there..."  
  
"Mm-hmm," Boss said, nodding and even laughing a little bit.  
  
"I tried to show off a little by...tellin' s'more-a my jokes, but.." Howdy cut himself off and yawned a bit. "Looks like, as usual, I just came off as...well, annoyin'. I mean, I...I really think that if I confessed to Pashmina, it'd only be, y'know... more trouble on her mind. She's been pretty worried about Bijou lately.  
  
"Yeah, so have I." Boss said, blushing a bit. "So.. I guess... we're BOTH alone, aren't we, Howdy?"  
  
"Heh... Yeah.. Guess so. But, ya know, that's all the more reason we want them to be happy, don't we? Ain't that the reason we keep workin' so hard for Bijou and Hamtaro?"  
  
Boss nodded and wiped a tear away. He had always wanted Bijou to be happy...but with him, not Hamtaro. Everyone else had been working hard, but...he had just been selfish.  
  
"Howdy..." Boss said, looking over at him.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"...Thanks...for, uh, talking to me about...all this."  
  
"No problem. Thanks for listenin' to me."  
  
"...No problem."  
  
[Moonlight Bridge]  
  
Hamtaro glanced up at the large clock. "It's already 11:45...The show starts at midnight... where could she be? Didn't she get the message?" he wondered. "I hope she's okay..." he sighed. "Things have already gone bad enough... What if we don't make it by midnight?" he sighed again and looked down.  
  
"HAMTARO!!!" some familiar voices cried out.  
  
"Ookwee! Ookwee!"  
  
"Heke...Sandy, Pashmina, and Penelope? What are you three doing here?"  
  
The three girls tried to catch their breath from running so quickly. They panted and panted, trying to get the words out.  
  
"Hamtaro---you gotta---.....Bijou---she's..." Sandy tried to get the words out.  
  
Hamtaro's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What? What happened to her?" he said immediately.  
  
"No, no..." Pashmina exhaled. "It's--She's--not gonna make it to the---bridge..."  
  
"I don't understand!" Hamtaro said, as tears began to form in his eyes. "Where is she? What's going on?!"  
  
"Ookwee!" Penelope said.  
  
Sandy took a deep breath. "Okay... Bijou got sidetracked, so she's not going to be able to make it."  
  
"Yeah--" Pashmina said, still gasping. "Sh-she'll just have to...meet you at the show."  
  
"What? Wh-why?" Hamtaro said.  
  
"Like, sorry, Hamtaro...She wanted to get there really bad, but it's already only ten minutes until the show." Sandy said mournfully.  
  
"Yeah...We're sorry, Hamtaro. We know how much you wanted this to be a special moment between you and Bijou... Uh, but it'll still be special!"  
  
"Uh..Yeah! Even if it's not at some totally old bridge...She'll probably be very happy!" Sandy said, trying to put up a good face.  
  
Hamtaro couldn't stand it, though. He wanted this to be special...for Bijou... and for himself. For the two of them. "I can't do it... I can't just let this go so easily..." he thought. Hamtaro had an angry look on his face, but still had tears in his eyes.  
  
"Uh...Hamtaro?" Pashmina said softly.  
  
"Like, are you okay? You can still see her at the show..." Sandy said.  
  
"Ookwee?" Penelope added, as usual.  
  
"I can't let this go to waste!" he yelled. "Listen, you guys, I'm gonna need your help! Follow me!" he yelled, charging off.  
  
"Whoa! Hey, Hamtaro, wait up!"  
  
"Like, slow down, boy!"  
  
"Oo-ookwee!"  
  
The three girls chased after him.  
  
"Like, didn't we just finish running?"  
  
"Yeah, but at least we'll have lost pounds from all this fair food!"  
  
"Where are we going anyway?"  
  
"I don't know, but at least it looks like he's headed for the theater entrance!"  
  
****end of chapter 13****  
  
*sigh* Well, that's all taken care of! Boss finally let Bijou have her way, and was cheered up a bit by Howdy, and now Hamtaro's wondering what to do for his big confession! So how'll it all work out? And I'm sorry to say this, but the next chapter will be the last. So I can't promise it'll be very long, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! For now, payce out! ^.~ 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see, ne? Wow, I posted this fic in the fall...and I don't even post the final chapter until AFTER Christmas...wow, how ironic.  
  
But with this final chapter, I'm going to announce my "retirement" to the Hamtaro section of ff.net. Quite honestly, I'm starting to lose interest in Hamtaro. I still enjoy reading fics, but the episodes all seem to just focus on Hamtaro, Hamtaro, Hamtaro! @_@;; And I guess I'm kinda "outgrowing" the show. Not that I'm getting too old for it, God knows you're never too old for cartoons. ^^ But it just doesn't interest me quite so much anymore, and I guess that kinda makes me lose interest in writing Hamtaro fics, too. So, unless I suddenly come up with an idea that I feel I CAN'T turn down, this is my last Hamtaro fanfic. If, though, you wanna keep reading my work, then you should check out the Sandy/Maxwell fanfic, "Aishiteru". I do quite a bit of co-authoring on that one. So, okay, I guess technically, THAT'S my last piece of Hamtaro work. This is the last one that was completely written by me. Aishiteru is a group fic, though, so I don't claim it completely to be mine. But if you wanna find out who else writes it, go read it, along with the author's notes. I'm the one known as "Ravens"; I prefer to be called that rather than WannaKnownLee.  
  
Anyway, this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy it.  
  
Chapter 14: Be With You Forever... Hamtaro's Confession: Finale  
  
"Hm? Hey, isn't that Hamtaro over there?" Panda said, pointing.  
  
"Hmm... Yeah! And there's Pashmina and Penelope behind him! And...Sandy?!" Maxwell said.  
  
"What are they going backstage for?" Panda wondered.  
  
"Hey, that's Hamtaro over there!" Cappy yelled.  
  
"What's goin' on here?!" Howdy yelled.  
  
"Yeah, why's the show takin' so long?" Boss said.  
  
The ham-hams sat for ten minutes, waiting for the show and wondering why Sandy, Hamtaro, Pashmina, and Penelope were all backstage. They waited in the enormous crowd of anxious, noisy hamsters. Some of the hamsters started forming chanting mobs, and yelled "Merryhamuzu! Merryhamuzu!" over and over again.  
  
"Ohh, I'm so hungry...I haven't had anything to eat in almost forty-five minutes..." Oxnard moaned.  
  
"Oh dear! I hope that Pashmina comes back soon..." Dexter whimpered.  
  
Suddenly, the lamps on the theater walls dimmed, and the ones on the stage blinked on.  
  
"Oh goodness... Where in the world could he be?" Bijou wondered, wanting to cry. She and Stan had been late after picking up her coat and ribbons, which she was now wearing. She looked around frantically.  
  
"Don't worry, Bijou, he's probably with the rest of the ham-hams! Now let's go look for 'em." Stan said.  
  
"But it is so dark, I cannot see any--" Bijou cut herself off when she looked at the stage.  
  
There, standing right there...  
  
...in the center of the stage...  
  
...was none other than...  
  
...Hamtaro.  
  
He was sweating nervously, and shaking a bit. Then, he put the microphone closer to his lips.  
  
"H-Hamha...and Merry Christmas, e-everyone. I know you all came to see the Miniha--uh, 'scuse me... the MERRYhamuzu perform tonight, right? Well, uh, y'see..."  
  
What was he doing? Where were the performers? Why was he on stage? Bijou couldn't believe what she was seeing.  
  
"They have been...kind enough to...let me do a very special introduction just before midnight. I don't know if many of you have heard, but... It's rumored that an angel of love has descended and is granting wishes to anyone who confesses their love on Christmas Eve this year. A very good friend of mine told me that."  
  
Boss looked down in embarrassment, but looked back up and smiled.  
  
"And a very nice hamgirl I know had a terrible accident a few days ago... And when I went to visit her, she told me that...she loved me."  
  
The ham-hams gasped and whispered a bit, but continued listening to Hamtaro.  
  
"When she told me that, I was really surprised... I-I didn't know what to do! I started thinking about all our memories together...The very first day I saw her... The first day she came to visit us at the clubhouse...And...the first time we...held hands... I thought to myself, 'Those memories are really special to me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have Bijou in my life!' So I wondered if...this was love? These feelings...The ones that all the other ham-hams seemed to have, but...I've somehow missed... I thought about what would happen if I told her that I loved her, and I imagined that we were very happy together. Then I tried to think about what would happen if I told her that I didn't love her...but... I ended up wanting to be with her anyway."  
  
Bijou limped through the crowd on her walking stick. "E-excuse me... Pardone moi, please!" She soon made her way to the front of the stage.  
  
Hamtaro looked down and saw her. He reached his paw out and pulled her onto the stage.  
  
"Everyone..." Hamtaro said, blushing deeply and holding Bijou on his shoulder. "This is Bijou. And I'm gonna make my confession now!" he exclaimed. Bijou blushed even deeper as tears began to fill her eyes.  
  
"Bijou... I want to be with you forever. I want to...walk with you to the clubhouse every day... Share all my sunflower seeds with you... take care of you..."  
  
The crowd set their eyes on the lovestruck couple upon the stage.  
  
"I...I love you, Bijou." Hamtaro said softly into the microphone.  
  
The crowd cheered and clapped. Some hamsters' eyes filled with tears of joy. Some cuddled up to their own lovers and quickly confessed love to them. Boss, who was still standing next to Howdy, began crying loudly, but it wasn't heard by many. Howdy patted Boss on the back, knowing how painful it must have been for him to sit there and watch. Suddenly, Boss threw his head onto Howdy's shoulder, crying into it. Howdy stumbled a bit, but somehow managed to support the weight on his shoulder.  
  
Then, suddenly, the Minihamuzu charged out in precious Santa outfits, dancing and twirling onstage, as they threw glitter-covered paper snowflakes around Bijou and Hamtaro. The two of them smiled at each other, blushed, firmly clutched one another's hands, and began dancing onstage and singing along, while the audience clapped to the beat of the song.  
  
Later, when the ham-hams had all gone home that night, Bijou, Hamtaro, and Boss shared a dream once more...  
  
~**~  
  
Bijou and Hamtaro giggled as they built a beautiful sand castle together. "Schmubby-wubby!" They laughed as they nuzzled each other and continued building.  
  
Little Boss sat alone, patting at a bucket-shaped pile of sand. He sniffed a bit and wailed softly, then heard a noise.  
  
"Howdy-ho!" An obnoxious and yet cute voice called out.  
  
"Heke?" Boss said, a bit muffled. He turned around, and there was a chibi-sized Howdy with an apron that looked big enough for using as a superhero cape.  
  
"Howdy-ho!" He repeated.  
  
"H-howdy..." Boss tried to say. He shook his head. "H-h-hamha!" he said instead, smiling slightly.  
  
Howdy suddenly jumped onto the edge of the sand box and turned around. "Ham-Ham!" he called out.  
  
Boss looked curiously at the young Howdy. "Ham...ham?" he said.  
  
Suddenly, a group of tiny friends, from Cappy to Snoozer, charged over behind Howdy.  
  
"Ham-Ham!" They all exclaimed.  
  
"Diggi-duggi-diggi-duggi..."  
  
Boss watched as they all began to make a gigantic castle. They finished in no time, and were all sitting on the top.  
  
"C'mon Boss-man!" Howdy called out.  
  
"C'mon Boss-man!" The others followed.  
  
Boss looked up and a bright, cheery smile covered his face as he ran over to the castle and began to climb to the top.  
  
"Heke?" Hamtaro and Bijou squeaked in unison as they watched Boss climb the castle.  
  
"Badda-badda-badda-badda..."  
  
They both ran over to the side of the castle.  
  
"C'mon, hammos!" Boss yelled out.  
  
"C'mon, hammos!" the rest of the ham-hams repeated.  
  
Hamtaro and Bijou smiled at Boss and the ham-hams, then at each other. Then they ran up the castle to join their friends, holding on to one another's paw...  
  
~**~  
  
(end)  
  
Please R/R. 


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